


Generosity

by Missy



Category: Burn Notice
Genre: Banter, Confessions, Conversations, Friendship, Gen, Honesty, Honor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-05
Updated: 2013-08-05
Packaged: 2017-12-22 12:17:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/913122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missy/pseuds/Missy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Michael asks Sam to do him a favor, and he's surprisingly resistant to the idea.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Generosity

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Small Fandom Fest in '13, Prompt: Sam has never really minded taking one for the team. But this time, what Michael asks of him dredges up a painful secret.

Sam,” Michael’s voice, sharp as a samurai sword, cut through the air as he rounded the corner.

Sam held up both hands. “Whatever it is, I didn’t do it.”

“I didn’t even accuse you of anything yet,” Michael replied, tossing a thick manila folder filled with old clippings onto the kitchen counter. Sam eyeballed the mountain of pulp with trepidation; he could already see his afternoon fishing trip evaporating into nothingness.

“But I know what that look in your eye means. It screams ‘Sam, we’ve gotta talk pronto,” he shivered. “Hoo baby, that usually mean some big bad somewhere’s decided to step up to Mikey Westen.”

Michael raised an eyebrow as he slid the files across the desk. Sam picked them up, parted the cover and took a long, increasingly befuddled gander at what Mike had handed him. 

“Ranch raiders,” he muttered. “Way south of our jurisdiction,” he said jokingly.

“Not as far as I’m concerned,” Michael replied. “The girl who owns these wells called Fi up this morning; she got her number from an old bounty contact. Apparently, she said she knew we handle ‘special cases’.”

Sam chukled. “Geez, Mike, did you take out a billboard on San Padre?” 

Michael stared into Sam’s eyes. “She was crying pretty hard, Sam.”

“You’re killing me,” sighed Sam, flipping open the folder. What he saw inside caused him to glare and quickly flip it closed. “No deal, Mikey.”

“We need you on this mission. You have an automatic in with these guys, and you could get her out quickly if it goes south.”

Sam tilted his head, watched Michael’s expression with a curious new detachment in his eyes. “How much did you promise her?” he asked gruffly.

“That we’d do the job,” Michael snapped. “She’s been under a lot of stress; she’s six months pregnant and her husband was killed in Iraq.” He pulled out his cell phone, showed Sam a snapshot of a tired-looking brunette holding hands with a three-year old. “The ranch was her dad’s – he passed of a heart attack and she’s been trying to run it all by herself ever since.”

Sam stared at the picture, and then he let out a deep sigh, scratching at his neck. “I need a beer,” he declared.

“Sam, what’s the deal this time?” Michael wondered. Sam had buried his head in the fridge and didn’t stir with his beer until Michael said, “you’re normally all over situations like these. If you need more money, I’ll give you a more favorable split.”

Sam glared at Mike. “I’ve got plenty of good reasons for turning you down, but I’m not gonna tell you any of them if you don’t back off.” Michael’s stare was a confused one, but he backed away, eyes constantly on Sam’s face but his features fixed to stony. “The guys you have dossiers on – the guys she says are haunting her – are friends of mine.”

“They’re also criminal thugs who want her to shell out for protection, Sam. I think it’s a pretty clear cut case morally.”

“…And they’re also old SEALS.” Sam’s fingers tightened about the bottle. “We were all in the same veterans group when we retired. They were all lower income guys, and I kinda helped them get benefits they weren’t entitled to.”

“…You stole from the government?” Michael’s eyebrows rose. 

“They were first line, Mike. The five of them went through things that’d make anyone a little crazy, even a guy like you. They couldn’t pass the mental health eval, so I helped them squeak by by giving ‘em the best answers I could. Thought they deserved it after what they’d gone through.” Sam grimaced. “I didn’t know they’d get greedy.”

“The government must’ve gotten wise to them, cut them off- like you.” 

Sam cringed, rubbed his upper arm. “Way to rub it in, Mikey.”

“I’m just repeating the truth, Sam. One you already know.” 

But he shook his head, glanced sadly at his own feet. “I should do more for them. Should’ve helped them when I had the chance.” He eyeballed Michael. “You don’t sound surprised.”

“I’m not,” he said. “You’d do anything for the needy. And for a needy friend you’d raise hell.”

Sam gave him an awkward, lopsided smile. “You get me, Mike,” he said, voice redolent of sarcasm. 

Mike smacked him on the back. “Want me to tell you more about Sarah?”

“Might as well,” Sam drawled. “I have a beer to finish.”

“She’s the daughter of a woman Fi knew back in Ireland. Apparently, they saw a few years of combat together,” he said.

“Aww Mike,” Sam glowered. “You’re asking me to help out ex-IRA?”

“Second-generation IRA,” Michael replied. 

“It’s the principle of the thing!” He insisted.

“If we’re going to judge her on what her ancestors did, I’m going to be forced to remind you that you’re thirteenth-generation Redcoat.”

Sam finally grinned. “Right. So how’d an ex-IRA agent end up in America, on a citrus ranch, married to a soldier?”

“According to Fi, she left on a travel visa and married up. No, Sam, before you start it wasn’t a marriage of convenience. Apparently they actually loved one another. The raids went down before her husband died, but now that he’s gone they’ve gotten even worse. She needs us, Sam.”

“She needs a smack on the ass too.” He took another gulp of his beer and said, “you’re not gonna give me a choice this time, are you?”

“I could call up Barry, if you want?” Michael raised his eyebrows, both at once, trying to appear both completely innocent and totally in control of himself.

“Barry!?! He’ll get the girl killed in two seconds, and probably sell the kids to the circus.” With that threat well-established, Sam shook his head. “Nah. I’d better help you out. Uh, this is gonna run you the usual fee, Mike…”

“I’ve already bought the beer,” Michael said.

Sam clapped Michael on the shoulder, grinning. “You always know the way to a guy’s heart.”

“I knew I could count on you, Sam.”

“Any time, Mike!” Sam grinned, and promptly stood to forage for his second beer of the afternoon.

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfiction uses characters from **Burn Notice** , all of whom are the property of the **USA Network**. No money was gained from the writing of this fanfiction and all are used under the strictures of of the Berne Convention.


End file.
